I’m going on a cruise to the eastern caribbean and want to know if I’ll be charged to use my data or make phone calls while at the various ports. From what I have previously read - I shouldn’t use my phone [put it in airplane mode] while on the ship itself and that is fine. But what about while in the ports? The ports are: Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, Antigua and St. Maarten. Thanks for any input :)
Best answer by drnewcomb
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Roaming fees for anything on cruise ships are insane to put it mildly. Putting your device into Airplane Mode when close to the ship and while aboard will ensure that you aren’t charged insane rates like $7 a minute for calls and $2 a text, let alone the crazy data rates. It is always good to purchase the onboard ships WiFi package when you can. That will keep you in touch with your social media and allow you to check any e-mail you feel the need to.
Cruise ships are not covered under any standard roaming packages because they use the towers owned and operated by the cruise ships, which will bill T-Mobile if you do happen to connect to their cell tower onboard.
When you send an SMS text message or call over your cell phone, the message or the call gets transmitted from the sending device to the nearest cell phone tower. That cell phone tower passes the text message or call to an SMS center (SMSC). Then the SMSC forwards the SMS or call to a cell phone tower near to the receiving device. Lastly, that tower sends the message or call to the recipient's device.
There are no cell phone towers on any ship or at sea, the moment you leave your country and there is no cell phone coverage your phone will start searching for cell phone data, that is roaming, the moment your phone connects to any cell phone company aside from your service provided, you will start being charged for roaming or cell phone data.
No cruise ships in the world will charge you for roaming because they are not cell phone companies and because they only offer WIFI onboard, Internet.
WIFI and cell phone Serivices are 2 different things and onboard any ship ONLY APPS such as what sup, Facebook messenger, Face time etc. etc. any internet-based app will allow you to call or text over the internet.
Also your WIFI calling is not supported by any other WIFI signal but the one you get with your service provider, finally all ships have WIFI antennas onboard not cellular ones and WIFI is provided by using a satellite, any satellite service is a very expensive one.
I would advise you to stay on airplane mode while at sea, and before you sail make sure you have internet apps like the ones mentioned to you before, that way you can be in touch with your loved ones since once you are navigating no cell phone service will be available.
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